2 AM
by Shipper Friendly
Summary: It's 2 AM at NCIS and Tony and Ziva argue a little. Little bit of TIVA. ONE-SHOT


**Disclaimer: Hmm...If I owned NCIS, would I really be writing this story? Would I even be writing this DISCLAIMER?**

**First attempt at NCIS fanfiction! Tell me if there is too much OOCness or anything. Tony will be a little OOC cos...just find out yer self!  
**

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Ziva David learned from an early age never to let her barriers down. She learned to keep herself alert and focused. But even people who have thick, strong walls eventually let them down. Sometimes these people do it voluntarily. Others, like Ziva, are forced to let their barriers down no matter how hard they resist.

Tony had her pointed. Or walled. Or whatever they call it when you can't get out of a situation. Cornered? Ah who cares anyway?

"What is your problem, Ziva? Why won't you talk to me?" Tony asked one late night. The case they had been working on just got solved, but the team decided to spend the night. It was 2 AM when they finished. At 2 AM, driving seems like too big of a task.

"I do not have a problem." Ziva denied. "What would make you think that?"

"You haven't been talking to me for a while."

"That does not mean I have a problem." She never looked him in the eye. Of course, Tony noticed this. He was saving that point for later.

"But you usually talk to me. So when you don't talk to me, I assume that something is bothering you." Tony leaned back in his chair as he twirled a pen around between his fingers.

"Do not assume." Ziva still avoided the eyes of Anthony DiNozzo. She had a habit of not looking anyone in the eye when she was uncomfortable with the conversation. This was definitely an uncomfortable conversation.

"Everyone has assumptions. I bet you had assumed something straight away about me. Pig, immature, idiot. Right?" Tony sighed and sat back up. He put the pen in his hand down and shook his head. What on earth could he do to make Ziva talk to him? It wasn't that he actually _wanted _to talk to her...he was just bored. So this was his mission. His frigging annoying mission.

"So what if I did? You cannot assume that I am angry just because I am quiet. Maybe I am quiet when I am tired. You do not know me. You will never know me." Ziva thought the conversation was over. She thought wrong.

"I don't _know _you?! Really, Ziva, I thought you were smarter than that. I know you enough to know that your sister, Tali, was killed in a roadside bombing at 16. I know that you are _not _quiet when you are tired. As a matter of fact, I know that you can't stop talking when you are tired. I've found out that you don't back down. You don't take no for an answer. And I know for a _fact _that you make up your mind about a person only thirty seconds after meeting them." When Tony was done, he had rendered Ziva speechless.

"Well, if you think you know me so well, _Tony_, can you tell me what I'm mad about?" Ziva retorted after collecting herself. Instead of being uncomfortable, she was now angry. She looked Tony straight in the eye to intimidate him. It wasn't working.

"I said I knew you, Ziva. I never said I was a mind reader." Tony narrowed his eyes. Ziva mimicked his movement. She also crossed her arms across her chest in an angry way. It wasn't intentional, and Tony was almost positive she wasn't aware of her action.

"You."

"Excuse me?"

"You are why I am mad. It is _you _Tony! Everything about you is so irritating! Your attitude, the way you fix around with girls-"

"I think you mean 'play', not fix." Tony smirked. He instantly regretted it, for he was almost positive Ziva's eye twitched.

"The way you always correct me. That irritates me. You are pigheaded and you always make stupid movie references that no one cares about. You do not care for others. I bet you will end up alone. That is what you deserve. You do not deserve happiness, Tony." Ziva had a rush of anger as that came out.

Tony felt a deep pang in his gut. Was that really how Ziva felt? That someone like Tony didn't even deserve _happiness_? He wasn't that bad...no one was that bad. Right?

"You don't mean that." Tony usually was a strong person. He had high self-esteem (a little too high at some points) and didn't let petty comments bring him down. But when it comes to Tony's happiness, he was a bit sensitive. He liked being happy. Who doesn't? When Tony's father would sometimes tell him what a dull life he led, Tony would try his hardest to deny it. But sometimes, he wasn't happy. Those are the worst times. That's why happiness was his number one priority. Ziva saying he didn't deserve happiness was like telling a little kid they didn't deserve ice cream. Or telling Abby she didn't deserve a Caf-Pow.

"How do you know what I do or do not mean?" Ziva hissed. "You are not me."

"You aren't me, either. You can't say whether I deserve to be happy."

"I can tell you what I think."

"Well what you think is rude, don't you think?" Ziva looked puzzled for a moment at this question. She collected herself quickly and easily before turning her attention to the center of her anger.

"I do not think so. Now, let me sleep." Ziva put her coat on the ground for a makeshift pillow. Unlike McGee, who always had a pillow and blanket stowed away for nights like these, she wasn't prepared for sleep overs at work.

"I wish you were never hired." Tony mumbled from his desk as he leaned back in his chair to fall asleep. Although Ziva heard, she pretended not to.

--

At 4 AM, Ziva still hadn't gone to sleep. She was still thinking about what Tony had said. Does he really hate her that much? She knew he wasn't her best friend, but to wish that Ziva had never been hired was a bit too far. Right?

Finally, Ziva couldn't take it anymore. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. After gathering her courage, she stood over a snoring Tony.

"Tony." She whispered at first. Her voice got a bit louder when Tony didn't wake. "TONY! DiNozzo! Wake up." Tony slowly woke.

"What could you possibly want, _Ziva_?" Tony said coldly. Ziva looked at her shoes briefly to hide her face.

"Something you said bothered me. I wanted to know why you said it." Tony rubbed his eyes.

"What did I say?"

"You said you wished I was never hired." Tony rolled his stiff neck around.

"Ziva, Ziva, Ziva. Do you really think I was being serious?" Tony squinted his eyes as if he was pained to be awake.

"You sure sounded serious." An irritated Ziva crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well I wasn't. I say things I don't mean sometimes." Tony rubbed his now open eyes.

"Do you mean that?" Ziva challenged.

"Yes."

It was silent for a moment.

"I would never really wish you were never hired, Ziva. I like you! You're my partner." Tony said truthfully.

"I like you too, Tony." Ziva smiled. This took Tony by surprise. Ziva always showed signs of hatred towards Tony. He had assumed that she wanted nothing to do with him. He was wrong.

"Cool. Good." Ziva couldn't help it. She knew it was so unlike herself, but seeing him opening up just a little bit had soften her. She walked over slowly behind Tony's desk and hugged him tightly. And to her delight...

He was hugging back.

**--**

**So there we go. A teensy bit of Tiva. MY FIRST NCIS FIC! Yay!  
**


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